The Hon. Rob Stokes MP Minister for the Environment and Member for Pittwater together with Cr Jacqueline Townsend SHOROC President and Mayor of Pittwater released Too Good to Waste the draft overarching waste strategy for Manly, Mosman, Pittwater and Warringah councils for community comment.

Developed by the four SHOROC councils, Too Good to Waste details the combination of community-based and infrastructure solutions for the region to work towards the ambitious goal of diverting 75% of waste from landfill. It signals a shift from waste being a burden to being a resource and looks ahead to 2021 to avoid, reuse, recycle and recover our valuable resources.

“I congratulate SHOROC and its member councils on the Too Good to Waste draft strategy,” Mr Stokes said.

“This strategy will help reduce landfill and encourage recycling, in support of the NSW Government’s goal of diverting 75 per cent of waste from landfill by 2021.”

SHOROC President Cr Jacqueline Townsend said councils continually face the challenge of managing waste in a sustainable way. With a forecast of a 24% increase in the amount of household waste needing to be collected, recycled or disposed by 2021, this challenge will continue.

“Each year the four SHOROC councils collect about 117,000 tonnes of waste from 109,000 households, the equivalent to 11,700 garbage trucks. This draft strategy outlines how the four SHOROC councils are working together to improve waste avoidance and resource recovery practices and bring together projects that are better delivered in partnership.

“The draft strategy has two key planks – the first is to provide sustainable infrastructure solutions to maximise resource recovery from the waste we create and minimise what goes to landfill. The second plank is to help our community to do their part to produce less waste, increase recycling, deal with problem wastes and reduce littering and illegal dumping.